St. Johns' Minor Chapter House

The St. Johns' Minor Chapter House was an 1130 establishment in the city of Acre, beginning the existence of the Knights Hospitaller (Knights of Saint John).

History
The Hospitaller Knights of Saint John formed a rather progressive order. The first Saint Johns' Minor Chapter Houses were little more than refuges for pilgrims, established by a devout group of Christian knights in the First Crusade. In 1130 the Republic of Venice funded the creation of a guild house in Acre for 1,000 &fnof;, and the Knights gained a base in the city.